May
2014

Salisbury Steak

categories: Beef, Main Dishes
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Salisbury Steak is old-fashioned comfort food at it’s best! Beef patties simmered in and smothered with a simple, delicious onion and mushroom gravy.Salisbury Steak is old-fashioned comfort food at it's best! Beef patties simmered in and smothered with a simple, delicious onion and mushroom gravy.

I found this particular recipe for the first time a couple of months ago online and decided to try making this version, to check it out.  My husband and I loved it! Trust me, THIS is comfort food at it’s very best, my friends!

Since then, I’ve made it many, many times. It’s just plain and simply “GOOD” Salisbury steak. Easy… and quick to prepare with ground beef, and the onion and mushroom gravy that tops it all off is wonderful!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

The Origins Of Salisbury Steak 

DID YOU KNOW?  Wikipedia states that Salisbury Steak was invented by American physician Dr. J.H. Salisbury (1823-1905). The name “Salisbury steak” has been in use in the United States since 1897.

It’s become a very popular “comfort food” style dish in the U.S., where it is traditionally served with gravy and mashed potatoes, or noodles.

Easy And Budget Friendly

The cost of the ingredients is fairly low, so you can feed friends or family for a fraction of what eating out would cost! I really hope you will give this recipe a try, and trust you will enjoy it like we do.

The original recipe for this version of Salisbury steak is from Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman. I have all of her cookbooks, so I knew I could count on this old-fashioned classic being a GREAT recipe!

This really is such an easy recipe to prepare, and it only takes about 30 minutes, from start to finish. I like “those” kind of meals, because the prep work doesn’t take too much time out of an already busy day.

How To Make Salisbury Steak

Ground beef and ingredients are mixed together, and then it’s shaped into oblong patties. Place olive oil and butter into a large skillet, and turn the heat to Medium-High.

When the oil and the skillet are hot, add the meat patties to the hot skillet, in a single layer.

Salisbury steak patties are pan-seared in skillet.
Cook the first side for 3-4 minutes, then carefully turn patties over and continue cooking the other side. Cook until the Salisbury steak patties are no longer pink in the middle (2-3 minutes, usually).

Remove the patties from the skillet, and place them on paper towels to absorb grease. Set the patties aside.

Pour off any of the excess grease from the skillet, but do NOT wipe it clean.

Salisbury steak patties are cooked in skillet, until browned on both sides.

Preparing The Salisbury Steak Sauce

Reduce the heat to Medium, and add the sliced onions to the skillet. Cook them, stirring occasionally, for several minutes until they begin to turn golden brown and have softened slightly.
 
Sliced onions for salisbury steak gravy are cooked in skillet.

Add beef stock, mushrooms, corn starch/beef broth paste, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup to the skillet.

Stir well to combine these ingredients, and cook until the sauce comes to a slight boil and thickens (about 1-2 minutes).

Gently add the beef patties back into the skillet. Spoon the gravy, onions and mushrooms over the top of the meat and let them simmer on Medium heat until heated through (2-3 minutes).

Salisbury Steak is in skillet, topped with mushroom/onion gravy to cook.

Time To EAT!

Once the Salisbury steak has finished cooking, transfer a beef patty to each serving plate. Top each piece with the onion/mushroom sauce.

We love to have this dish with good, old-fashioned mashed potatoes on the side. It’s easy to use some of the onion/mushroom sauce as gravy for the potatoes. YUM!

Salisbury Steak is served on plate with mashed potatoes and salad on the side.

See how easy it is to make homemade Salisbury steak?  I really hope you will enjoy this classic comfort food meal! We LOVE it, and have enjoyed it many, many times in our home! Have a wonderful day, friends. Make it a GOOD one!

Looking For More BEEF Recipes?

You can find all of my beef recipes in the Recipe Index at the top of the page. A few of our family favorites you might enjoy are:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

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Author's signatureRecipe Source: http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/salisbury-steak-4/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Salisbury Steak
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 
Salisbury Steak is old-fashioned comfort food at it's best! Beef patties simmered in and smothered with a simple, delicious onion and mushroom gravy.
Category: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: salisbury steak
Servings: 5 (or 6, if made smaller)
Calories Per Serving: 305 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For the meat mixture:
  • 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 cube beef bouillon , crumbled (or use a powdered beef base)
  • 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon ketchup
  • Salt and pepper
For the "gravy":
  • 1 whole brown onion , halved, then thinly sliced
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 small can sliced mushrooms (*optional)
  • 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce (additional)
  • 1 Tablespoon ketchup (additional)
  • 1 teaspoon corn starch , mixed with a little bit of the beef broth (to blend into a thin paste)
  • Salt and pepper , to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil , for frying
  • 1 Tablespoon butter , for frying
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for the meat mixture. Mix until well combined. Using hands, form meat into 5-6 oval patties. Try to make them all about the same size.

  2. Place olive oil and butter into a large skillet. Heat on medium high. When oil and pan are hot, add meat patties to the skillet.
  3. Cook first side for 3-4 minutes, then carefully turn patties over and continue cooking the other side until no longer pink in the middle (another couple of minutes, usually).
  4. Remove patties from the pan and place on paper towels to absorb grease. Now pour off excess grease from pan, but do not wipe pan clean.
  5. Reduce heat to medium and add sliced onions to the skillet. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, for several minutes until they begin to turn golden brown and have softened slightly.
  6. Add the beef stock, mushrooms, corn starch/beef broth paste, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup to skillet. Stir well to combine. Cook until sauce comes to a slight boil and thickens (1-2 minutes). Gently add the beef patties back into the skillet. Spoon the gravy, onions and mushrooms over the top of the meat and let patties simmer on medium heat until heated through (just 2-3 minutes). To serve, spoon some of the onions and sauce over the top of the patties (and even the mashed potatoes if they are a side dish!) when you put them on the serving plate, and ENJOY!
Recipe Notes

*Recipe serves 5-6, depending on the size of the patties you make. Caloric calculation based on 5 total servings.

Nutrition Facts
Salisbury Steak
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 305 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 90mg30%
Sodium 1021mg44%
Potassium 624mg18%
Carbohydrates 13g4%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 32g64%
Vitamin A 100IU2%
Vitamin C 1.7mg2%
Calcium 45mg5%
Iron 4.2mg23%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Salisbury Steak is old-fashioned comfort food at it's best! Beef patties simmered in and smothered with a simple, delicious onion and mushroom gravy.

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May
2014

Chocolate And Strawberry Napoleons

categories: Chocolate, Desserts, Doughnuts/Pastries
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Chocolate Strawberry Napoleons are delicious layered desserts, with strawberries, creamy chocolate filling, puff pastry, and a chocolate drizzle. Chocolate Strawberry Napoleons are delicious layered desserts, with strawberries, creamy chocolate filling, puff pastry, and a chocolate drizzle.

A couple of years ago, my husband and I were having our sons and their girlfriends over for dinner. I was a bit stumped by what to serve for dessert, because I didn’t want to prepare the same old desserts I usually make. I ended up making Chocolate and Strawberry Napoleons!

This dessert was created, because I knew I wanted to try something different. My DEEP CONTEMPLATION of WHAT that could be lasted about 4 minutes. I decided to make something using puff pastry, and we ended up with… Chocolate and Strawberry Napoleons!

Several changes were made to a recipe I found on the box, tried to make it look “fancy pants”…and voila! A beautiful, classy looking dessert was made, that we all enjoyed! The recipe actually looks harder to make than it really is, and with only 7 or 8 ingredients, it’s not too expensive, either!   Here’s how to make this delicious dessert!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare Strawberries

In a small bowl, mix the sliced strawberries with granulated sugar and water. Stir until the sugar dissolves and ingredients are fully combined.

Set the strawberries aside, and let them sit for about 30 minutes, then drain off the juice. This process is called “macerating” the berries, and helps to sweeten them.

Fresh strawberries are mascerated in sugar and water for chocolate strawberry napoleons.

Make The Chocolate Filling

In a large mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla on high speed until soft peaks form. This “chocolate mousse” type mixture will become the filling for the chocolate strawberry napoleons! Cover and place in refrigerator, until ready to use.

Prepare The  Puff Pastry For Chocolate Strawberry Napoleons

Take the thawed pastry sheet and gently unfold it onto a lightly floured work surface. Cut the pastry (along the fold marks) into 3 strips. Now cut each of the strips into 4 rectangles.

NOTE: You will notice (in the photo below) that I FORGOT to cut the three strips of puff pastry into 4 rectangles each until AFTER I baked them.  TRUST ME – they are much easier to cut BEFORE you bake them and they get all nice and crispy!

Bake The Puff Pastry

Put the 12 pastry rectangles onto 2 baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the pastries turn golden brown. Remove pastries from oven and place on wire racks. Let these cool for about 10 minutes.

Once cooled, take a sharp knife and carefully split each pastry into 2 layers (horizontally, of course!). You should now have 24 pastry rectangles (you will use 3 for each serving). **See NOTE above, regarding photo below.

Baked puff pastry, ready to slice and fill for chocolate strawberry napoleons dessert.

Serving Chocolate Strawberry Napoleons

Place a bottom pastry layer onto each individual serving plate (8 total). Divide HALF of the chocolate filling between all 8 portions. Spoon chocolate filling, to cover (and kind of spill over sides).

Divide and spoon HALF of the strawberries over the chocolate filling on each portion. Top each dessert with another pastry layer. Repeat process with an additional layer of chocolate and strawberries for each dessert. Top each dessert off with another pastry rectangle (use an original “top” piece).

Dust the pastry and plate with sifted powdered sugar. Decoratively drizzle each portion with chocolate syrup (or melted and slightly cooled semi-sweet chocolate chips) and serve!

To serve, chocolate strawberry napoleons are dusted with powdered sugar and drizzled with chocolate.

Fresh strawberries, plus creamy chocolate filling, in between layers of flaky puff pastry, and drizzled with chocolate is so good. Yummm…what’s NOT to like?

Chocolate strawberry napoleons on plates, ready to serve to guests!

We REALLY enjoyed these chocolate strawberry napoleons for dessert! They are at their very best when served on the same day you made them!

Close up photo of a chocolate strawberry napoleon on a serving plate.

Sure hope you will give it a try. This easy to make dessert will be a treat for your guest’s eyes AND taste buds! Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More DESSERT Recipes?

You can find ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few of our favorite dessert recipes include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Chocolate and Strawberry Napoleons

Recipe Adapted From: The back of the box of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (☺)

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Chocolate And Strawberry Napoleons
Prep Time
40 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
50 mins
 
A delicious chocolate, strawberry, and cream-filled pastry sure to impress your guests!
Category: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate strawberry napoleons
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 296 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 sheet Puff Pastry (1/2 of a 17.3 oz. box) , thawed
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream (very cold)
  • 3 Tablespoons confectioner's (powdered) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 cups fresh , sliced strawberries (do not use frozen for this recipe)
  • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • *Optional: Confectioner's Sugar and Chocolate Syrup (or melted and slightly cooled chocolate chips) for garnish (you know...to make it purdy!!!)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

  2. Prepare strawberries: In a small bowl, mix the sliced strawberries with the granulated sugar and the water. Stir until combined. Set aside and let them sit quietly for approx. 30 minutes, then drain off the juice. This process is called "mascerating" the berries. Set asdide , until ready to use.

  3. Prepare Chocolate Filling: In a large mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream, confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla on high speed until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate, until ready to use.

  4. Take the thawed pastry sheet and gently unfold it onto a lightly floured work surface. Cut the pastry (along the fold marks) into 3 strips. Now cut each of the strips into 4 rectangles. Put the 12 pastry rectangles onto 2 baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the pastries turn golden brown. Remove pastries from oven and place on wire racks. Let these cool for about 10 minutes.

  5. Once cooled, take a sharp knife and carefully split each pastry into 2 layers (horizontally, of course!). You should now have 24 pastry rectangles (you will use 3 for each serving).

To Make The Napoleons:

  1. Place a bottom pastry layer onto each individual serving plate (8 total). Divide HALF of the chocolate filling between all 8 portions. Spoon chocolate filling, to cover (and kind of spill over sides).

  2. Divide and spoon HALF of the strawberries over the chocolate filling on each portion. Top each dessert with another pastry layer. Repeat process with an additional layer of chocolate and strawberries for each dessert. Top each dessert off with another pastry rectangle (use an original "top" piece).

To Garnish and Serve:
  1. Dust pastry and plate with sifted powdered sugar. Decoratively drizzle with chocolate syrup (or melted and slightly cooled semi-sweet chocolate chips-that's what I did) and serve! ENJOY!
Recipe Notes

Caloric calculation does not include optional chocolate and powdered sugar used to garnish finished dish.

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate And Strawberry Napoleons
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 296 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Cholesterol 40mg13%
Sodium 88mg4%
Potassium 137mg4%
Carbohydrates 26g9%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 435IU9%
Vitamin C 21.4mg26%
Calcium 32mg3%
Iron 1.3mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Chocolate Strawberry Napoleons are delicious layered desserts, with strawberries, creamy chocolate filling, puff pastry, and a chocolate drizzle.

 

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May
2014

Healthy Kung Pao Chicken

categories: Asian, Chicken, Main Dishes
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Healthy Kung Pao Chicken is easy to make, and low in calories, with snow peas, fresh ginger, red bell peppers, green onions, and dry roasted peanuts.Healthy Kung Pao Chicken is easy to make, and low in calories, with snow peas, fresh ginger, red bell peppers, green onions, and dry roasted peanuts.

I love Chinese Food, especially Kung Pao Chicken and Sweet and Sour Pork. I do NOT love all the calories those traditional Chinese dishes add to my body, as I eat bite after bite, however!  What’s a girl to do??? How about a recipe for Healthy Kung Pao Chicken?

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Where Did Kung Pao Chicken Originate?

Wikipedia describes Kung Pao Chicken as “a classic dish in Szechuan cuisine”. The recipe for Kung Pao Chicken is thought to have originated in the Sichuan province of South-Western China.

This classic dish is commonly believed to have been named to honor Ding Baozhen, a governor of Sichuan Province during the Quing Dynasty. “Kung Pao” literally means “palace guardian”, which has absolutely nothing to do with chicken, but… whatever! All I know is it tastes GREAT!

Where I Found The Recipe For Healthy Kung Pao Chicken

I was determined to search for a slightly healthier version of Kung Pao Chicken…and I found one, in an old back issue of Cooking Light Magazine.  A few very minor changes were made to the recipe, then I prepared this “lighter” version for our dinner tonight. It was delicious!!!!

This healthy kung pao chicken version is not as spicy as some other traditional recipes, including my own recipe (here). If you like your kung pao chicken spicy, simply add additional red pepper flakes to the dish.

Why We Enjoy This Recipe

This healthy kung pao chicken is absolutely full of flavor, a cinch to prepare, and easy on the old wallet! You’ll think you are enjoying some good take out, because the sauce is wonderful, but you won’t be piling on those extra calories. Win-Win!!! I would encourage you to give it a try, and hope you enjoy it! We sure did. Here’s a few pics taken while cooking the dish:

Making Healthy Kung Pao Chicken

Chicken breast chunks, green onions and garlic are cooked together in a large skillet until fully cooked through.

Chicken, garlic and green onions are cooked through in a large skillet.

Add Veggies, Sauce and Dry Roasted Peanuts To The Skillet

Once the chicken is cooked through, add snow peas, red bell peppers, dry roasted peanuts and a simple Asian sauce to the chicken. Stir well, to fully combine the ingredients.

At this point, everything is cooking away, and the healthy kung pao chicken is sure smelling good! Let the chicken, veggies and sauce cook for a few more minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cooks, and will coat everything in it’s deliciousness!

Veggies, sauce, and dry roasted nuts are added to healthy kung pao chicken in skillet.

Time To Serve The Healthy Kung Pao Chicken

Healthy Kung Pao Chicken can be served on a bed of rice (if desired), with additional fresh veggies on the side. Now it’s time to dig in!

Healthy Kung Pao Chicken can be served on a bed of steamed rice.

Hope you enjoy this recipe for healthy kung pao chicken. See the printable recipe below, for all the details! Have a great day, and come back soon!

Looking For More Chinese Food Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorite Chinese food recipes include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signatureRecipe Adapted From “Cooking Light Magazine”, December 2010 issue and posted at: http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/healthy-kung-pao-chicken/

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Healthy Kung Pao Chicken
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 
Here's a healthy version of a favorite Chinese entree: Kung Pao Chicken, with a touch of "spicy" and a lot of "healthy"!
Category: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: healthy kung pao chicken
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 195 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
  • 4 Tablespoons green onion , sliced (white and green parts)
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • 3 boneless chicken breasts , cut into 1" pieces
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 3 Tablespoons Low Sodium Soy Sauce
  • 1/2 -3/4 teaspoons red pepper flakes (If you like it with more "heat", use 3/4 tsp.)
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger , minced (or finely grated with micro-plane)
  • 3/4 cup snow peas
  • 3/4 cup red bell pepper , sliced in thin strips
  • 2 Tablespoon dry roasted peanuts
  • Optional: Toasted sesame seeds and additional sliced green onion , for garnish)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil on medium heat.
  2. When oil is hot, add the onion and cook for about a minute, then add the garlic and chicken.
  3. Saute until the chicken is cooked through (about 4-5 minutes).
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the water, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar, cornstarch and ginger. Whisk this until the sugar has dissolved, then add this sauce to the chicken.
  5. Bring the sauce to a boil, then add the red bell pepper and snow peas.
  6. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes (the sauce will thicken as it cooks). When chicken is heated through and sauce has thickened, remove it from heat.
  7. Serve this dish on top of white or brown rice.
  8. Garnish (if desired) with additional green onion slices and toasted sesame seeds. ENJOY!!
Nutrition Facts
Healthy Kung Pao Chicken
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/4 of total))
Calories 195 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 36mg12%
Sodium 504mg22%
Potassium 384mg11%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 1190IU24%
Vitamin C 49.2mg60%
Calcium 22mg2%
Iron 1.2mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Healthy Kung Pao Chicken is easy to make, and low in calories, with snow peas, fresh ginger, red bell peppers, green onions, and dry roasted peanuts.

 

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May
2014

Swiss Chard With Onions And Garlic

categories: From Our Veggie Garden, Side Dishes, Vegetable Dishes
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You’ll enjoy this flavor filled, easy to prepare veggie side dish that features pan-seared, garden fresh Swiss Chard with onions and garlic.You'll enjoy this flavor filled, easy to prepare veggie side dish that features pan-seared, garden fresh Swiss Chard with onions and garlic.
Swiss Chard with Onions and Garlic is a quick, easy and HEALTHY side dish I made last night with our grilled chicken dinner.  I stir-fried rainbow colored chard with onions and garlic, and boy, was it good!

I had never eaten Swiss Chard until a year ago, when I decided to add it to my raised bed garden and give it a shot. That was a great idea (if I say so myself)!  I planted seeds for Rainbow Chard last Spring (Rainbow Chard just means there are different color stems on the plants).

We are STILL enjoying some of the Swiss chard I planted last year from seed…isn’t that crazy?! I planted chard seeds from a .99 cent packet …My chard plants survived the winter rain and snow and we had some for dinner last night in MAY! Talk about a good investment…yeehaw!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Is Swiss Chard Good for You?

Yes! My husband and I loved this side dish! Chard is crazy good for you, too. It is low-fat, full of fiber, iron and potassium, to name just a few reasons why you should give this veggie a try. Simple, “good for you”, and full of flavor!

We grow a rainbow variety of Swiss chard in our little back yard garden. Here’s where the unsuspecting chard in the skillet was yesterday morning (my garden – the tall plants in this photo).

Swiss chard, growing in our little raised bed garden.
Here’s where some of that chard was yesterday afternoon (my kitchen) and what it looked like after washing the leaves and stems. It had NO idea I was going to COOK it the following day!

The Swiss chard leaves are rinsed and drained well, before cooking.

Preparing Swiss Chard With Onions And Garlic

There are not too many ingredients for this quick stir fry, and that’s a good thing. Simple is good!

Minced garlic, and Swiss chard with onions are used to make this dish.

The minced garlic is added as the chard is cooking down a bit in the skillet.

The chard is cooked in skillet until it wilts down to half the size.

See how much the Swiss chard cooks down by the time it’s done? You THINK it will be a lot of Swiss chard with onions, but it ends up being about half the starting amount in the pan, once cooked. Be sure to serve the Swiss chard immediately while still hot. You can season it with salt and pepper, if desired to suit your own personal taste.

The Swiss Chard With Onions And Garlic is finished cooking, and is ready to serve.

Hope you will consider trying this recipe for Swiss chard with onions and garlic. It really IS a very delicious way to “eat your veggies”. If you enjoyed this dish, be sure to check out my recipe for Swiss Chard with Bacon and Mushrooms. Have a great day!

Looking For More Veggie Dishes?

You can find all of my vegetable dishes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have many delicious veggie dishes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

  Author's signature

Recipe Source (My head…this is how I cook kale, also…ridiculously easy!)

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Swiss Chard With Onions And Garlic
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 
You'll enjoy this flavor filled, easy to prepare veggie side dish that features pan-seared, garden fresh Swiss Chard with onions and garlic.
Category: Side Dishes, Vegetable Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: swiss chard with onions
Servings: 3
Calories Per Serving: 107 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 large bunch of Swiss Chard (it LOOKS like a lot, but it will really cook down- trust me!)
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/3 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic , minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon bacon "drippings" (this is completely optional, but does lend a nice flavor)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Wash the chard very well. Shake chard to dry it slightly, but leave a bit of the water on the leaves. Chop the stem and leaves into 2 inch pieces.

  2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the chopped onions and saute for a couple minutes. Add the chard stalks; cook for a couple of minutes, then add the leaves and the garlic. If the leaves don't all fit in the pan, don't panic...just let them cook for a minute (as they cook it will "shrink" substantially), then add the rest. Continue to saute the chard until the leaves begin to wilt (a couple minutes. You will be surprised how much the chard reduces in size.

  3. Serve the sauteed chard warm. Enjoy this healthy side dish!!!
Nutrition Facts
Swiss Chard With Onions And Garlic
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 107 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 104mg5%
Potassium 207mg6%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 2935IU59%
Vitamin C 16.3mg20%
Calcium 32mg3%
Iron 0.9mg5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!You'll enjoy this flavor filled, easy to prepare veggie side dish that features pan-seared, garden fresh Swiss Chard with onions and garlic.

 

 

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May
2014

Southwestern Black Bean Salad

categories: Mexican / Southwestern, Salads, Side Dishes
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You’ll LOVE this fantastic Southwestern Black Bean Salad, with corn, tomatoes, and avocado! It’s easy, flavorful, and under 90 calories per serving!You'll LOVE this fantastic Southwestern Black Bean Salad, with corn, tomatoes, and avocado! It's easy, flavorful, and under 90 calories per serving!

Happy Cinco De Mayo! Yesterday our family celebrated our youngest son’s 27th birthday with a Taco and Enchilada Night. One of the side dishes I prepared was this Southwestern Black Bean and Corn Salad…it was the first time I had prepared it, and I am positive I will be making it again!

I found the original recipe for this Southwestern Black Bean Salad on Skinnytaste.com. If you’ve never visited this website, I would encourage you to do so. The blog author, Gina, creates wonderfully tasty, low-fat dishes that are sure to please every palate! Every recipe she posts has the caloric value, Weight Watcher Points, etc. so you know exactly what you are eating, calorie-wise! I love it!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Some Quick Info On The Southwestern Black Bean Salad

I hope you will give this quick, easy to make (and full of fiber) dish a try. It is very versatile: great as a side salad, or could be used as an appetizer, with tortilla chips. The Southwestern black bean salad recipe makes 6 1/2 cups, which translates to 13 half cup servings at approximately 80-89 calories per serving.

The Southwestern black bean salad is served, covered in a lime and olive oil dressing.

The added bonus is that Southwestern black bean salad is so fresh tasting and DELICIOUS! I think you will enjoy it, especially on a warm Spring or Summer day!

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

You can find all of my salad recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few family favorites include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Author's SignatureRecipe Source: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/06/southwestern-black-bean-salad.html

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Southwestern Black Bean Salad
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

You'll LOVE this fantastic Southwestern Black Bean Salad, with corn, tomatoes, and avocado! It's easy, flavorful, and under 90 calories per serving!

Category: Salads
Cuisine: Southwestern
Keyword: Southwestern black bean salad
Servings: 13 (1/2 cup servings)
Calories Per Serving: 89 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 15.5 ounces black beans , 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 9 oz. cooked corn , fresh (grilled), or frozen (thawed)
  • 1 medium tomato , chopped
  • 1/3 cup red onion , chopped
  • 1 stem scallion (green onion) , chopped
  • 1 small jalapeno , finely diced
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh minced cilantro (or more to taste)
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)
  • 2 limes (the juice from)
  • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small avocado , diced
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl (beans, corn, tomato, onion, scallion, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and pepper).
  2. In a separate bowl, mix the lime juice and the olive oil together until blended. Pour over salad and mix well.
  3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes prior to serving.
  4. Add the diced avocado right before you serve the salad.
  5. ENJOY!
Nutrition Facts
Southwestern Black Bean Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/2 cup per serving))
Calories 89 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 132mg6%
Potassium 256mg7%
Carbohydrates 12g4%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 170IU3%
Vitamin C 7.8mg9%
Calcium 16mg2%
Iron 0.8mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!You'll LOVE this fantastic Southwestern Black Bean Salad, with corn, tomatoes, and avocado! It's easy, flavorful, and under 90 calories per serving!

 

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May
2014

Honey Oat Bread

categories: Breads
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Honey Oat Bread is easy to make from scratch, without a bread machine! It’s a delicious loaf of bread topped with honey & oats- great for toast or sandwiches!Honey Oat Bread is easy to make from scratch, without a bread machine! It's a delicious loaf of bread topped with honey & oats- great for toast or sandwiches!
I tried a new homemade bread recipe… twice! Yes, this recipe for homemade Honey Oat Bread is THAT good, and you do not need a bread machine to make it from scratch! I found the recipe a couple of weeks ago, but have already made it twice…yum!

This honey oat bread was absolutely perfect! We ate it warm, straight from the oven with some butter, but we also enjoyed using it for toast and sandwiches. It has a great texture (light and fluffy-NOT dense), with just a tiny trace of sweetness (from the honey). My husband and I loved it, and know I will be making this honey oat bread often.

Hope you will give it a try…it’s really not that hard, but it sure is satisfying to smell the aroma of fresh, baked bread filling the house! It really is a wonderful homemade loaf of bread. I know you will love it! Here’s a few pics of the “process”:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Making Honey Oat Bread

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if making by hand), mix together the flour, oats, yeast and salt.

Oats, flour and other bread ingredients in metal mixing bowl

In a small separate bowl or pan, warm the milk so it’s hot enough to melt butter, but IS NOT boiling. Add the butter to the warm milk; stir it until melted.

Stir in the water and the honey. Mix well to combine them into the milk. Here’s a picture of when I added the honey to the melted butter.

Honey added to butter mixture in blue bowl

Beat the dough welll, using a stand mixer (or beaten very well by hand). Once dough is done (kneaded fully into a dough ball), place it in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Turn the dough over to make sure both sides are lightly coated.

Let The Dough Rise

Place a dish towel over the top of the bowl and set the honey oat bread dough aside in a warm place. Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size. This will take approx. 1/2 – 1 hour. Dough has been mixed, and is now rising.

Dough for honey oat bread is rising in glass bowl with dish towel on top

Once the dough has doubled in size, remove it from bowl and place dough on a clean, lightly floured work surface. Using your fingers, flatten the dough out into a 9×12 inch rectangle.

Honey oat bread dough is rolled into rectangle shape.

Form The Honey Oat Loaf

Tightly roll the dough (beginning from the long end) into a loaf shape. Tuck the ends of the loaf in. The honey oat bread dough is now rolled up into a loaf shape, and ready to go into a loaf pan.

Dough for honey oat bread is rolled into a loaf shape on cutting board

Layer a 9×5 inch bread pan with parchment paper, (First position one piece that goes width-wise and overlaps the top edges of the pan . See photo below- this will help you lift the bread from the pan when done. Put another piece of parchment paper on top of that which goes the length of the pan.

Carefully pick up the floppy loaf of dough and gently place it into the parchment-lined bread pan. Cover the bread pan with a dish towel and set in a warm place. Let the honey oat bread dough rise again until doubled in size (about an hour).

Honey Oat Bread dough is placed into loaf pan with parchment paper

Brush The Honey Oat Bread With Butter

When the dough has finished it’s second rise, brush the top of the loaf with the warmed honey. Completely brush the entire top of the loaf…gently!

Honey oat bread dough is brushed with honey.

Sprinkle oats over the entire top surface of the loaf of honey oat bread. Place the bread pan on the middle rack in the  preheated oven.

Rolled oats are sprinkled onto top of honey oat bread dough in loaf pan.

Bake The Bread

Bake the bread for 40-50 minutes, or until the bread is deep, golden brown.  Here is the honey oat bread, straight out of the oven, and out of the pan. Isn’t it gorgeous?

Honey Oat Bread, golden brown, cooling on wire rack.

Let the bread cool on a wire rack before slicing it! Here’s what the slices of the honey oat bread look like, once they have been cut. YUM!

Slices cut from honey oat bread on green plastic mat

Hope you will consider making this absolutely delicious homemade honey oat bread for yourself! You’re gonna LOVE it!

Looking For More Bread Baking Recipes?

You can find more bread recipes in the Recipe Index at the top of the page. You might enjoy some of my other bread recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Honey Oat Bread / The Grateful Girl Cooks!Recipe Source: Recipe Source:  http://bakingdom.com/2011/09/homemade-honey-oat-bread.html

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Honey Oat Bread
Prep Time
2 hrs
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 40 mins
 
Honey Oat Bread is easy to make from scratch, without a bread machine! It's a delicious loaf of bread topped with honey & oats- great for toast or sandwiches!
Category: Bread, Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: honey oat bread
Servings: 10 slices (1 loaf)
Calories Per Serving: 241 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For the bread:
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup oats (instant or old-fashioned will work-I used old-fashioned for my loaves)
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons. instant active yeast
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk (If you're vegan or dairy-free, use almond or soy milk-*Note* I have not tried this)
  • 1/4 cup lukewarm water
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (or margarine, if desired)
  • 1/4 cup honey (if vegan, use agave)
For bread topping:
  • 2 Tablespoons honey (or agave), warmed
  • 2 Tablespoons oats (uncooked)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if making by hand), mix together the flour, oats, yeast and salt.
  2. In a small separate bowl or pan, warm the milk so it's hot enough to melt butter, but IS NOT boiling. Add the butter to the warm milk; stir it until melted. Stir in the water and the honey. Mix well to combine.
  3. Pour the warm milk mixture into the flour mixture.
  4. Using the dough hook on your stand mixer, mix these ingredients until they come together to form a soft dough. Knead the dough in the mixer (still using the dough hook attachment) for approx. 10 minutes. If the dough is still really sticky after 5 minutes, then add in additional flour 1 TABLESPOON AT A TIME, mixing well after each addition until the dough is barely "tacky". (*NOTE: I found that I needed to add 5-6 additional TBSP of flour to get the right consistency...just be sure to only add one tablespoonful at a time. If by some chance you get the bread too dry, simply add 1 tsp. warm water at a time to remedy this).
  5. **If you are not using a stand mixture and are going to be kneading this by hand, just know that you will really have to keep your hands and work surface well-floured...dough will be VERY sticky at first).
  6. Once dough is "done", place it in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Turn the dough over to make sure both sides are lightly coated. Place a dish towel over the top of the bowl and set aside in a warm place. Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size (this will take approx. 1/2 - 1 hour).

  7. Once the dough has doubled in size, remove it from bowl and place dough on a clean, lightly floured work surface. Using your fingers, flatten the dough out into a 9x12 inch rectangle. Tightly roll the dough (beginning from the long end) into a loaf shape; tuck the ends of the loaf in.

  8. Layer a 9x5 inch bread pan with parchment paper (First position one piece that goes width-wise and overlaps the top edges of the pan (see photo on blog-this will help you lift the bread from the pan when done), then put one piece on top of that which is the length of the pan.

  9. Carefully pick up the floppy loaf of dough and gently place it into the parchment-lined bread pan. Cover the bread pan with a dish towel; let it rise again until doubled in size (about an hour).

  10. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is preheating, place an empty loaf pan (or casserole dish) on the bottom rack of the oven. In a small saucepan. bring 2 cups of water to a boil on your stove top.

  11. When the dough has finished it's second rise, brush the top of the loaf with the warmed honey. Completely brush the entire top of the loaf...gently! Sprinkle oats over the entire top surface of the loaf. Place the bread pan on the middle rack in the oven.

  12. Pour the boiling water into the empty pan on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake the bread for 40-50 minutes, or until the bread is deep, golden brown. (The internal temperature will be about 190 degrees, in case you're checking). Once done, carefully remove bread (and water pan) from oven. Let bread cool on a wire rack before slicing. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Honey Oat Bread
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 241 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 7mg2%
Sodium 362mg16%
Potassium 132mg4%
Carbohydrates 46g15%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 11g12%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 115IU2%
Calcium 38mg4%
Iron 2.1mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Honey Oat Bread is easy to make from scratch, without a bread machine! It's a delicious loaf of bread topped with honey & oats- great for toast or sandwiches!

 
 

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Apr
2014

Tip of The Day- How To Freeze Ginger

categories: Tip Of The Day
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Don’t throw away fresh ginger if you only need a small piece for a recipe! Here’s a quick tip showing how to freeze ginger to keep it handy. Don't throw away fresh ginger if you only need a small piece for a recipe! Here's a quick tip showing how to freeze ginger to keep it handy.
I make lots of recipes that call for a small amount of fresh, grated ginger. Many times I’ve gone to the store, bought ginger, brought it home, made the recipe, put the extra ginger back in the refrigerator… never to be seen again until it is moldy. Not anymore!!!  Today’s tip of the day is how to freeze ginger.

I hate to waste stuff like that. So imagine my surprise (i.e. “How come I never knew this before???”) when my little sister Joni came up for a visit and said “You know you can just freeze that ginger, right?” Whaaatt?

Now why I never knew this before is the question of the day. *Insert face palm here.* Talk about a great and ridiculously easy tip, and a great way to save some money at the grocery store! No more last minute trips to run to the store to buy ginger every time I need it! Now I just reach inside our freezer for a bag of ginger, then put it back when I am done! It’s a Christmas miracle!!!!!

How To Freeze Ginger

Cut off the “nobs” (see picture above) and peel the ginger with a sharp knife. It is also very easy to use the back side of a spoon to do this same thing. Tip: Cutting the “nobs” off first makes it easier to peel. Duh. Throw away the peel, and then say buh-bye!

Fresh ginger must be peeled before freezing with a knife or spoon.
Store the peeled ginger nobs in a freezer-safe bag. throw it in the freezer. You might want to put the date on the bag. I just used up the rest of the ginger I froze last summer, and it was still full of flavor!

Pieces of ginger are easily frozen in plastic resealable bags.
When you need ginger for a recipe, just pull the bag out of the freezer, grate it while frozen, then throw it back into the freezer. Easy peasy!
 
Frozen ginger is easily grated for recipes!
See how easy that was? Ridiculous. What a great way to save some bucks, AND not have to be running to the grocery store every time you need a little bit of fresh ginger for a recipe! Sometimes little sisters know what they’re talking about! Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you will come back again soon. Have a great day.
 

Looking For More Kitchen TIPS?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have several really good tips you might be interested in, which include:

 

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

 
Author's signature
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Don't throw away fresh ginger if you only need a small piece for a recipe! Here's a quick tip showing how to freeze ginger to keep it handy.

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Apr
2014

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake-Swirl Brownie Bites

categories: Chocolate, Desserts
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Chocolate Chip Brownie Bites are absolutely decadent, bite-sized treats, overflowing with chocolate chips and cheesecake swirl filling.Chocolate Chip Brownie Bites are absolutely decadent, bite-sized treats, overflowing with chocolate chips and cheesecake swirl filling.

Looking for a great dessert treat?  This recipe is one of the “small bite” desserts I made for Easter brunch. I found the recipe on Pinterest, and decided to make some for everyone to enjoy!

I loved making a variety of bite-sized desserts for our brunch. Here’s a photo of all of them, including Chocolate Dream Cups with Raspberry Mousse, Lemon Curd Filled Won Ton Cups, and Spring Flower Sugar Cookies!

A variety of small desserts, including the chocolate chip brownie bites!

Since the chocolate chip brownie bites are made in miniature muffin tins, the recipe yields approximately 32 little bite-sized treats! This is a wonderful, “easy to make” recipe for a large group. So yummy! Hope you enjoy them, friends! Here’s how to make them.

Make The Brownie Batter

Melt  butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Set the saucepan aside. Combine granulated sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a separate, large bowl. Add the melted butter and vanilla to this mixture, and mix until combined. 

Stir eggs into the batter, one at a time. Once batter is shiny and thick, add flour and mix it in well. Keep stirring until all the ingredients have been incorporated. Fold the chocolate chips into the batter. Set the batter aside while you make the cheesecake filling.

A brownie batter is mixed and then chocolate chips are stirred in.
Make The Cheesecake Filling

In a large mixing bowl, beat together all the ingredients for the cheesecake batter. This filling is made using cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and an egg yolk. Once fully smooth and combined, set the bowl aside.

Cheesecake filling for the brownie bites is mixed together in a large bowl until smooth.
Time To Assemble The Brownie Bites

Lightly grease miniature muffin cups. Spoon about a tablespoon of the brownie batter into each of the wells of the prepared muffin tin(s).You may need to make chocolate chip brownie bites in batches, because this recipe yields about 32 brownie bites.

Brownie batter is divided into miniature muffin cups that have been lightly greased.
Add the cheesecake batter by large dollops onto each of the muffin cups of chocolate batter. Divide the cheesecake filling evenly between the cups.

Cheesecake filling is dolloped onto the brownie batter in the muffin cups.
Time to Bake These Little Treats!

Use a knife to gently swirl the brownie batter and cheesecake batter together in each muffin cup. Place the muffin tin in the oven, and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until done.

It’s easy to test for doneness by inserting a toothpick down into the top of one of the brownie bites. If the toothpick comes out clean, they’re finished baking. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool.

Cheesecake filling is swirled into the brownie batter in the muffin cups.
Enjoy The Chocolate Chip Cheesecake-Swirl Brownie Bites!

Once the chocolate chip brownie bites have cooled to room temperature, grab one and take a big bite! They’re very chocolatey and the cheesecake filling adds another level of taste to mini treats.

Here’s a close up look at one of these cute little Chocolate Chip Cheesecake-Swirl Brownie Bites (yum). See that cheesecake filling inside? Go for it… take a bite and see how good they are!

One of the chocolate chip brownie bites, with cheesecake swirl filling.

Sure hope you have the opportunity to try these chocolate chip brownie bites! They are really delicious! Thanks for stopping by, and please come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes.

Take care, God bless you, and have a GREAT day.

Looking For More DESSERT Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of amazing dessert recipes for you to enjoy, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Author's signatureRecipe Source: http://www.domesticate-me.com/chocolate-chip-cheesecake-swirl-brownie-bites/

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Chocolate Chip Cheesecake-Swirl Brownie Bites
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

Chocolate Chip Brownie Bites are absolutely decadent, bite-sized treats, overflowing with chocolate chips and cheesecake swirl filling.

Category: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate chip brownie bites
Servings: 32
Calories Per Serving: 118 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For the brownie batter:
  • 1/2 cup butter (+ 2 Tablespoons)
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (+ 2 Tablespoons)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs , cold
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
For the cheesecake swirl:
  • 8 oz. cream cheese , softened
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (+ 2 Tablespoons)
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg yolk
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray one or two miniature muffin tins with a non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

  2. Using a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Set aside.

  3. Combine granulated sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a large bowl. Add melted butter and vanilla. Mix into dry ingredients until well combined. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Once batter looks shiny and thick, add flour and mix it in well. Keep stirring until ingredients have been incorporated. Fold the chocolate chips into the batter. Spoon about a tablespoon of the brownie batter into each of the wells of prepared muffin tin(s).

  4. In a separate bowl, beat the cheesecake swirl ingredients (softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and egg yolk) together until fully combined. Add a dollop of the cheesecake swirl batter (about 1/2 Tablespoon) to the top of each brownie cup. Take a knife and gently swirl the cheesecake batter down into the brownie batter.

  5. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean). Check them at 15 minutes. Keep an eye on them so you don't overcook them! When done, remove them to a wire rack to cool. Let brownie bites COOL before trying to remove them from the pan. Repeat process with remaining batter (if making them one muffin tin at a time)...then ENJOY!!!!!

Recipe Notes

***These brownie bites also freeze very well, if by some miracle there are any left... just sayin'!

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake-Swirl Brownie Bites
Amount Per Serving (1 brownie bite)
Calories 118 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 28mg9%
Sodium 81mg4%
Potassium 78mg2%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 11g12%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 155IU3%
Calcium 19mg2%
Iron 0.7mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

Chocolate Chip Brownie Bites are absolutely decadent, bite-sized treats, overflowing with chocolate chips and cheesecake swirl filling.

 

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Apr
2014

Blueberry Crumble Muffins

categories: Breads, Breakfast, Muffins
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Blueberry crumble muffins are delicious breakfast treats, packed with blueberries (fresh or frozen) and a streusel topping! Perfect “on the go” breakfast!Blueberry crumble muffins are delicious breakfast treats, packed with blueberries (fresh or frozen) and a streusel topping! Perfect "on the go" breakfast!
I recently found this recipe for Blueberry Crumble Muffins on Pinterest, or as I love to call it…”My Online Recipe Box”. These muffins are absolutely FANTASTIC! Pass the coffee!

The recipe comes from Ashton, at “Something Swanky”, and I am grateful she shared her recipe with all of us. I made these delicious muffins a few days ago for breakfast for my husband and I, and am happy to report that they were delicious…and EASY…and did I mention delicious?

I’ve tried various blueberry muffin recipes over the years, some were good, some not so good. This one is GREAT! The recipe makes 12 muffins, which is practically enough to feed a small village, and they freeze well, so I wrapped half of them up really well and threw them in our freezer for another morning’s dining! I hope you will give this recipe a try. Mix them up and bake them when you have some extra time and enjoy them for days! Here’s a few pics from when I made them:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Making Blueberry Crumble Muffins

The batter for the muffins is extremely simple to make. Seriously… it’s so very EASY!

Mixing up the batter for blueberry crumble muffins is EASY!

You can use fresh or frozen blueberries for this recipe. I used frozen berries (threw them into the muffin batter completely frozen) with no problem.

Frozen blueberries are added to muffin batter.

Divide the batter into muffin cups (in my beat up, but dearly loved muffin tin). I like to think of my grungy muffin tin as “well-used, and well-loved”.

Blueberry muffin batter is divided into paper muffin tin holders.

Get Ready For Baking

Add the crumble (streusel) topping to the top of each of the muffins before baking. Divide the topping evenly between the muffin cups.

A streusel crumble topping is added to top of blueberry muffin batter.

After the blueberry crumble muffins are done baking, let them cool on a wire rack for several minutes, then remove them from the pan.

Blueberry crumble muffins, right out of oven.

Time To Eat Some Blueberry Crumble Muffins

Here are the blueberry crumble muffins, right out of the oven, cooling on a wire rack. Let them cool down a bit before serving.

Blueberry crumble muffins, ready to eat.

Here’s a peek at the inside of one of the blueberry crumble muffins. Look at those blueberries! This yummy muffin is ready to eat!

See all the blueberries inside the blueberry crumble muffin?

Hope you will try making these delicious blueberry crumble muffins… they are so easy to make, and they really taste wonderful! Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day, and come back soon!

Looking For More MUFFIN Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of yummy muffin recipes you’re gonna love, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
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Author's signatureRecipe Source: http://www.somethingswanky.com/blueberry-crumble-muffins/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=blueberry-crumble-muffins

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Blueberry Crumble Muffins
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 

Blueberry crumble muffins are delicious breakfast treats, packed with blueberries (fresh or frozen) and a streusel topping! Perfect "on the go" breakfast!

Category: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: blueberry crumble muffins
Servings: 12 muffins
Calories Per Serving: 274 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For the muffin batter:
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup fresh , frozen, or canned blueberries (I used frozen ones I picked last summer!)
For the crumble topping:
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (1 cube) cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Line a standard size muffin tin with paper cupcake liners. Lightly spray the muffin paper holders with non-stick cooking spray. (Yes...spray the paper, also!)
  3. Beat the milk, oil and egg together in a medium sized bowl.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk these dry ingredients together, then add to the milk and egg mixture. Stir this only until the batter forms (the batter will be lumpy).
  5. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter with a large spoon or spatula. So far so good, right?
  6. Divide your batter evenly into the 12 prepared muffin cups.
To prepare the "crumble topping" and finish muffins:
  1. Place the flour, cold butter pieces and brown sugar in a bowl. Using a pastry blender or a fork, cut (or "mash") these ingredients together until you end up with a crumbly mixture the size of small peas (now you know why it is called a "crumble". Brilliant).
  2. Sprinkle the crumble over the top of each muffin batter thingy (now I'm just getting technical...)
  3. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  4. Remove muffins from oven; let them cool for 5-10 minutes before attempting to remove the paper wrappers. Then slice that warm blueberry muffin in half, slather some butter on that bad boy and dig in! Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Blueberry Crumble Muffins
Amount Per Serving (1 muffin)
Calories 274 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Cholesterol 34mg11%
Sodium 178mg8%
Potassium 138mg4%
Carbohydrates 36g12%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 13g14%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 290IU6%
Vitamin C 1.2mg1%
Calcium 58mg6%
Iron 1.5mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here is one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Blueberry crumble muffins are delicious breakfast treats, packed with blueberries (fresh or frozen) and a streusel topping! Perfect "on the go" breakfast!

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Apr
2014

Lemon Curd Filled Won Ton Cups

categories: Desserts
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These tasty dessert bites, featuring filled lemon curd won ton cups, garnished with whipped cream, mint and a raspberry, will be a big hit!These tasty dessert bites, featuring filled lemon curd won ton cups, garnished with whipped cream, mint and a raspberry, will be a big hit!
Another Easter celebration as a family has come and gone.  These Lemon Curd Won Ton Cups were a big hit for dessert at our family’s Easter brunch.

I love “little bite” desserts (my favorite!), where you can try several different goodies, rather than having a huge slice of only ONE thing. Eat more dessert? That’s a “win-win” in my dessert handbook.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of the Page

Lemon Curd Won Ton Cups Were Perfect For Easter Brunch!

My husband and I were invited to Easter Brunch with our sons, their girlfriends and friends, after we got home from church services. My assigned food to bring was dessert. Actually, I might have volunteered for this!

I ended up bringing several “mini” small bite desserts, including these Lemon Curd Filled Won Ton Cups for us to share.

Desserts on table, including lemon curd filled won ton cups

In the photo (above), you can also see my Spring Flower Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Dream Cups with Raspberry Mousse, and my Chocolate Chip Cheesecake-Swirl Brownie Bites. These were the other “small bite” desserts I made for the Brunch.

I found this recipe for lemon curd won ton cups on Pinterest and thought it sounded interesting. The sugar dusted, baked won ton cups filled with chilled lemon curd sounded like a sweet/tart little bite of goodness to me! I had never made lemon curd before, so I was excited and curious to learn how.

Lemon Curd Won Ton Cups Can Be Made Ahead If Necessary

Guess what? It was EASY…and delicious! I made the lemon curd and the won ton cups the day before Easter, so all I had to do at the last minute was fill the won ton cups with chilled lemon curd. Once that was done, I garnished each one with a fresh raspberry, a dollop of whipping cream. and a mint leaf.

Make The Lemon Curd

Here’s a few photos of what the process looked like. If you would like detailed instructions, check out my post for how to make lemon curd. Making the lemon curd involves cooking sugar, eggs, lemon juice, etc. in a pan on the stove. It is much easier to make than you might think!

Eggs and sugar in pan to make lemon curd

Stir the butter into the lemon curd mixture and cook it until the lemon curd thickens.

Butter added to lemon curd mixture in pan with whisk

The lemon curd is now thickened and done.  Set it aside, so the lemon curd can cool.  Hooray! You just made sweet and tangy lemon curd!!! The hardest part is trying to not lick the spoon… it is so yummy!

Thickened spoonful of lemon curd

Prepare The Won Tons

Hold the won ton with one hand, and brush melted butter on it with the other!

Brush melted butter onto a won ton wrapper for lemon curd won ton cups.

See how the won ton has been brushed with butter on both sides? Now you need to sprinkle it with some of the granulated sugar.

Holding buttered won ton wrapper over bowl of sugar

How To Shape The Won Ton Cups

This photo below, shows how to shape the won ton cups, using a muffin tin. Use every other muffin holder to prevent the won tons from sticking to each other while baking.

Shaping won tons into cups, in muffin tin

Bake Won Ton Cups

The won ton cups are baked at 350 degrees for about 7 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack after baking, so they can cool. NOTE: If there is an accumulation of butter in the bottom of the cups, simply turn them over on a paper towel to “drain”.

Won ton cups cool on wire rack after baking.

Garnish Each Lemon Curd Won Ton Cup

Once they have cooled to room temperature, fill the won ton cups with thickened lemon curd that has been chilled . Garnish each lemon curd won ton with a spray of whipped cream, a whole fresh raspberry, and a mint leaf, if desired!

A lemon curd won ton cup tastes the best eaten on the day they are prepared! That way, the won ton cups will be nice and crunchy!

Lemon curd won ton cups, topped with raspberry, whipped cream and mint.

I would definitely make these again. Each lemon curd won ton cup is very festive looking and scrumptious! They are at their very best when served the very same day you fill the cups!  They are delicious, and I hope you will consider making them for those you love!

Looking For More DESSERT Recipes?

You can find ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a large variety of dessert recipes you’ll want to check out, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signatureRecipe Adapted From: http://www.littlemisscelebration.com/2013/06/16/lemon-lime-curd-in-sugared-wonton-cups/

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Lemon Curd Filled Won Ton Cups
Prep Time
3 hrs
Cook Time
7 mins
Total Time
3 hrs 7 mins
 

These tasty dessert bites, featuring filled lemon curd won ton cups, garnished with whipped cream, mint and a raspberry, will be a big hit!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: lemon curd won ton
Servings: 12 servings
Calories Per Serving: 166 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For the lemon curd:
  • 2 eggs , plus 2 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 8 Tablespoon cold , unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 6 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
For the won ton cups:
  • 12 won ton wrappers
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2-3 Tablespoon melted butter
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
To make the lemon curd:
  1. In a small saucepan (over medium heat), combine the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar. Whisk these together well.
  2. Once mixed, whisk in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and the salt.
  3. Add the butter to the pan and cook, whisking constantly, until the butter has melted and the curd has thickened. This will take approx. 3-4 minutes. DO NOT LET THE MIXTURE BOIL! Just keep on whisking.

  4. Once curd has thickened, remove pan from heat and let the curd cool to room temperature. While the curd is cooling, give it a good stir every few minutes. Once the lemon curd has cooled to room temp, cover the pan with plastic wrap and put it in refrigerator. The lemon curd will need to be well chilled prior to serving (at least 3-4 hours). While the curd is chilling, make the won ton cups.

To make the won ton cups:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Melt 2-3 TBSP of butter in a small saucepan or in your microwave. When done, remove from heat. In a SEPARATE bowl, place 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Set melted butter and the bowl with the sugar next to each other on the counter,  to make the won tons.

  3. Prepare one won ton at a time. Using a pastry brush, brush both sides of the won ton with the melted butter, making sure to completely coat each side. Once done, sprinkle ONE side of the won ton with granulated sugar. **I held the won ton in one hand and sprinkled the sugar on it with my other hand. Take the won ton, sugar-side UP, and lightly press it into the well of a miniature muffin pan. Place won ton wrappers in every other cup, so the edges will not touch. If you have two mini-muffin tins, use both. Repeat with remaining won ton wrappers.

  4. Bake the won ton cups at 350 degrees, until they are lightly browned (about 7 minutes). When done, remove pan(s) from oven and place on wire rack. Let cups cool slightly, then CAREFULLY remove them from pan. (I found there was still some melted butter in the bottom of the cups when they were done baking, so I just turned them upside down on paper towel to let it run off).

  5. Fill each (completely cooled) cup with chilled lemon curd, garnish with a dollop of whipped cream, a raspberry and a mint leaf. Voila! Grab one and ENJOY!
Recipe Notes

The original recipe was for lemon-lime curd. To make this version, use 3 TBSP each lemon juice and lime juice. Also change recipe to 1 tsp. each grated lemon and lime rind. Everything else stays the same.

Nutrition Facts
Lemon Curd Filled Won Ton Cups
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 166 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 53mg18%
Sodium 161mg7%
Potassium 23mg1%
Carbohydrates 17g6%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 330IU7%
Vitamin C 3.3mg4%
Calcium 10mg1%
Iron 0.4mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

These tasty dessert bites, featuring filled lemon curd won ton cups, garnished with whipped cream, mint and a raspberry, will be a big hit!

 

Save

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